Unscheduled Vacation
by Lady Valtaya
Summary: While chasing down a thief, FFVII's Zack Fair and Cloud Strife unwittingly find themselves pulled into a mysterious world far from their own. Will they ever get back?
1. Taken by the Mist

**Disclaimer:** I, Lady Valtaya, swear that I do not own FFVII- its characters or its settings. I also am much too poor to own Naruto and its characters.

**Author's Note**: I do love crossovers- even when I have to start them off with a mysterious dimensional teleport…

I'm not dead and I'm still working on all my other fics, so don't worry. This idea just bit me in the ass a few weeks ago and has refused to leave me alone since, so here it is…

Prologue

This underground temple was just too quiet. None of the other guards had dared to follow Zack inside, but they were friends and like an idiot, Cloud decided he just couldn't let him go alone. So, two hours later, they were lost in the huge, creepy place. Another torch nearby lit itself as he stepped out of the stairwell and down onto a large walkway. Cloud looked around nervously, he wasn't afraid of the dark, but this whole place just felt- _wrong_.

"Uh, Zack… Are you sure we're supposed to be messing around down here?"

"Relax Cloud, the war's over. We're just here to catch a thief. I know I saw the jerk run down those stairs back there…"

Zack had good instincts, but he was far too relaxed- he never seemed to take anything too seriously about being in SOLDIER. So, Cloud was about to protest again, but a flicker of movement caught his eye. "Hey, he's over there."

Zack grinned and drew the Buster sword off of his back. "Come on out, we've just got a couple of questions to ask you…"

The thick shadows in the massive room made Cloud wary as he looked around. He felt safe because he was with Zack, but the room itself felt strange and foreboding.

It was like the chamber was buzzing with an unknown but powerful energy that seemed to flow just beneath the surface of everything that was visible. A dozen fierce looking statues of armed warriors wearing strange masks were arranged in a ring that surrounded and leered down at them menacingly. Each figure was more than 20 feet tall. In the center of the room on a huge raised dais, was a massive archway more than 30 feet tall was carved from smooth gray stone and decorated with strange carvings of demons, all crawling _out_ of the arch.

"Shinra dogs, you'll never subdue the spirit of our people!"

"Actually we're just following orders," Zack shrugged. "Don't shoot the messenger. Besides, you're the one who stole that thing from a makeshift lab where it was awaiting transport to Midgar."

"You fool! Shinra stole this treasure from a temple here in Wutai! I'm only taking her back to where she truly belongs."

'_Her?'_ Cloud almost asked. The man they were after had wild silver hair and he wore a half mask, as well as an eye patch. He was carrying something small in both arms, but he hadn't been able to tell what it might be from their previous glimpses of him.

"I'm sorry, but this is a dead end and I can't let you take that anywhere." Zack sighed; as usual he hadn't been paying attention...

"Truly, you know nothing about our lands; I can't believe Wutai lost the war to you fools."

"Yeah, well I've heard that before, now hand it over…"

"Never!"

For a moment, the tension in the room became almost tangible, and Cloud paused to look around.

The man darted out of his hiding place in the shadows, behind the leg of one of the statues. He scrambled up onto the dais past Zack and toward the arch with almost impossible speed. Cloud had never seen anyone move so quickly. As the man neared the arch, the eyes of the carvings on the arch, and the massive statues around it began to glow.

Zack ran after the thief and Cloud dashed after him. Cloud shouted a warning, but there was a strange mist pouring forth from the arch and Zack and the thief were already inside of it.

Cloud wanted to stop, but he couldn't just leave Zack alone with the desperate thief. He too was caught in the mist and stumbled blindly into the arch. Cloud noticed the air around him no longer smelled like the underground temple- it was fresh and smelled like the trees and grass of the deep woods. When the mist finally cleared, he and Zack were standing in a thick forest.

"What the…"

Cloud didn't know what to say, he just shrugged and shook his head as they both looked around.


	2. Worlds Collide

**Author's Notes**:

Chapter 1

"Damn it, why in the hell didn't we just go with Kakashi?" Naruto wasn't usually very stealthy anyway, but this was getting ridiculous. For the fifth time in under four minutes, Sasuke watched the blond huff out another exasperated breath.

"Because, idiot, he told us to wait here." Sasuke didn't add that his status as a Konoha ninja was still considered quite tenuous by most of the village after he'd spent almost three whole years with Orochimaru…

"Please, Sasuke, when do you or I ever do _exactly_ what he tells us?"

Sasuke snorted, that was usually true, Kakashi trusted him again, but they still had no choice at the moment. They'd been too busy arguing with each other to protest being left behind. Kakashi had told them in the middle of the night that he was leaving them at the inn, and abruptly disappeared, apparently well beyond the range where they could sense him.

Kakashi had been gone for two days and Sasuke wouldn't admit it, but the two ninja were both getting anxious to make sure their former sensei was alright.

"So, where did he go, anyway?"

"He's retrieving a newborn Jinchuriki; the Elders had Kakashi hide her somewhere from Akatsuki. I guess they are afraid that the place where she's been is now more dangerous than keeping her in Konoha was."

"A **_what_**? Y-You mean someone made another demon vessel like me and Gaara? Why doesn't he ever tell me that stuff?"

"Does it matter? You'll forget it five minutes from now anyway," he said it automatically. Yet truthfully, he'd been wondering the same thing- he just didn't want to worry Naruto. As one of the last living demon vessels (who still actually contained a Bijuu), Naruto would've been the perfect choice to keep close to a new Jinchuriki- both for protection and as a friend/mentor to the young one...

Naruto's scarred cheeks flushed with color and he shoved him. "I will not, Bastard."

"Hn."

"That's not even a word!"

Sasuke allowed a challenging smirk to settle over his features. "_Hn__._"

"Bastard."

Sasuke was about to annoy him further, when he felt a familiar tingle move up his spine. A huge flare of powerful chakra was approaching them, and judging by the expression of concentration now etched onto Naruto's face, he sensed it too. The energy didn't appear to have a specific signature and stranger still; it began to dissipate immediately. Without a word, the two shinobi forgot their squabbling, and moved as a team to investigate.

"It's not far from the last shrine we passed along the road."

Naruto nodded and they raced toward it silently, bounding lightly across the tree limbs.

As they approached, Sasuke activated the Sharingan, and found Kakashi; the older ninja was running at ANBU speed toward them with a neatly wrapped bundle in his arms.

"We've got trouble." Kakashi said, as the two fell in step beside him.

"Is that the kid? Is he okay?"

"She's fine, Naruto but I was followed here."

"You keep going; we'll stay and take care of the trash-"

"It's not that simple, Sasuke." Kakashi said, stopping him. "Amaya has a twin brother who also holds a demon… but his foster family was killed during the war in Wutai and he was taken several months ago to a place called Midgar in this other world. Follow these strangers and learn everything you can about them. Make sure they don't harm anyone, but keep them alive because they work for the people who took Amaya's brother, and if they want to live; they will help us get the boy back."

"You got it; now take good care of her!" Naruto cried, punching the air excitedly as he and Sasuke turned back the way they'd come.

They were the same age, but the blonde's enthusiasm for their missions often made Sasuke feel older than 16. Then again, Sasuke had been on his own for a while after saving himself from Orochimaru. He'd found the freedom of using his strength and power for nothing but his own interests to be relaxing- even when facing down his legendary brother. In the end however, he'd decided even freedom wasn't worth the loneliness of being without Naruto. The hyperactive number one knuckleheaded ninja was everything to him, and to be close to him, Sasuke had to abide by the rules he'd been raised to follow. Unfortunately, active mission status meant going on missions he didn't necessarily agree with, many of which were assassinations because of his strength and power. This mission had the potential to be interesting, but Sasuke wasn't about to get his hopes up. Whenever he worked with Naruto, it was his job to be the practical one.

When they arrived at the inn, they paused to look down from the shadowy tree limbs at the people coming and going.

"Hey, what do you suppose they look like?"

"Kakashi seems to think we'll know them when we see them or he would've told us," Sasuke shrugged.

"Hey, look at that! I think that guy down there stole your hair! You better go demand it back now!" Naruto cackled happily.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, but noted that Naruto was pointing down toward a tall man with black hair that was spiky in the back but softened in the front by bangs that framed his face. The man wore a practical looking black outfit of black pants and a sleeveless black turtleneck. But practicality went out the window from there; the sword strapped to his back that was about as big as Zanbato and probably just as heavy. The man was several inches shorter than Zabuza and much younger too, if Sasuke could believe his eyes from this distance. Beside him, was a shorter, slim blond with hair even more wildly spiked than Naruto's and a light blue uniform. It too, was of a type that Sasuke had never seen before. The blond held in his hands, a large two handed object that was attached to a long strap slung over his right shoulder. Sasuke couldn't tell what it was- he'd never seen anything like it, but the way the boy was holding it and trying not to look scared, warned him that it was some kind of a weapon.

"My hair does not look like that in the back, now shut up and let me think."

"Yes, it does, Bastard. What's there to think about anyway? We don't _have_ to knock people out and interrogate them to get to know them, you know. We could just try talking to them."

"Dumbass," Sasuke snorted in his most infuriating 'I'm smarter than you, so just shut up,' tone of voice. "And just what would you say to them that would make it sound like we _aren't_ just talking to them to keep them out of trouble while they are trapped in our world?"

"Well, they look lost, don't they? Why don't we just try being friendly?"

Sasuke paused counting internally before he started swearing and growled out, "Fine, first watch is all yours."

"Okay, but you should-"

"Naruto… Just be careful." Which really meant, 'don't get attached,' in Sasu-speak.

A sad flicker of understanding passed through Naruto's eyes and the blond suddenly looked a lot less excited as he turned and looked down at the two strangers.

For a moment, Sasuke felt torn; he knew that Naruto's outgoing, trusting heart was as much the blonde's biggest weakness as it was his greatest strength. He growled stubbornly though; as he teleported into his room, he stripped off his mission gear, and stepped into the shower.

* * *

Cloud decided that he would never completely understand his best friend. They'd wandered to an inn not far from where they'd been left standing by the mist. Zack was apparently confident that even though they had no idea where they were, that they would run into someone sooner or later that would tell them.

"Hey Cloud, look!" Zack was holding his PHS and grinning like an idiot. "It's got power because of its experimental Mako battery backup system, but there's no signal- I've never seen that before! We can't be on Gaia anymore this confirms it. Back home, I can still use this thing in the deepest caves and in the craggy mountain passes around Modeoheim with no trouble because it draws power and its signal strength directly from constant contact with the Lifestream."

_'Where does all that optimism come from?' _Cloud had no idea. "W-We're- not on Gaia?"

"Nope, the PHS is running on battery power, which it's never done before, cool, huh?"

Usually, he enjoyed this aspect of Zack's almost electric personality, but at the moment, Cloud wasn't actually sure if they were even awake or not. Zack, on the other hand, was apparently fine with their surroundings and he was still grinning like a little kid, but now he was talking about getting an unscheduled vacation from Shinra.

_'Cool?'_ Cloud wanted to whack him in the head with the butt of his rifle. _'We're totally lost and now we can't even call for help and none of that bothers you?'_

"Relax, Cloud, it'll be fine."

"How am I supposed to relax?"

"I dunno, but I've got plenty of Gil, so let's go inside and find us a beer- or something…"

"I thought back at Junon, you said you weren't going to get me drunk again?"

"That was before we got lost on another world, Cloud. This is just therapy, and besides, I did promise not to let you get _that_ drunk again, right?"

Cloud scowled but followed Zack into the Inn's tavern and slumped into a chair across from him. "Okay."

"Hi, mind if I join you guys? Everywhere else is full."

Cloud looked up and saw a boy his age with crystal blue eyes much like his own and wildly spiked short blonde hair. He was smiling and wore the loudest black and orange jumpsuit that he'd ever seen.

"Sure," Zack said. "I'm Zack, this is Cloud."

_'Predictably friendly as usual,'_ Cloud thought jealously. He wanted Zack all to himself- especially if they were here to drink, but he just nodded and tried to smile. Cloud's eyes seemed drawn to the long thin scars on the boy's cheeks as he sat down, because they curiously resembled whiskers…

"Nice to meet you guys, I'm Naruto." He seemed so friendly that Cloud instantly felt guilty for feeling jealous, but he couldn't help it… He was in love with his best friend- unfortunately; Zack already had a girlfriend anyway. That time that they'd made out in Junon was a fluke, because they were both monumentally drunk and because Cloud had tripped and landed ungracefully on the SOLDIER's lap. Cloud was mortified that he'd kissed him- even accidentally; Zack had seemed completely at ease with his sensuality when he kissed him back though. It had been the most erotic experience of Cloud's entire life- until he'd passed out and woke up alone (and still dressed) in his own hotel room…

Cloud had no idea when their sodas had arrived, but he took a sip of it anyway. It wasn't exactly what he was used to, but it was pretty good.

"Too bad Sasuke-bastard went and locked himself in his room- then again he's not a big partier…"

Zack grinned and ruffled Cloud's hair. "Cloud's not usually so shy, but it's been a busy day for us. So, what business brings you guys out here? This place seems kinda busy for such a little fork in the road village."

Cloud slumped back in his chair out of reach and scowled at him.

The exchange bought a chuckle from Naruto, but he answered the question. "Most of these people are heading to Konoha for a big festival that is coming up, but this place is never empty. It's famous for its Super Spicy Curry of Life; three friends of mine make it. You have to try it, it's amazing the way it perks you right up! Lee and Gai-sensei never stop talking about it, so eventually Granny Sansho expanded to give everyone who came to try her delicious Curry of Life a bigger place to stay and the little village nearby kind of rebuilt around it."

"Why hello there, dear, I thought that was your voice I heard, Naruto!" Cloud found that he was smiling as he saw a little old woman with a big smile coming toward their table. The woman had a bright, welcoming presence about her that made him instantly more comfortable.

"Hi, Granny Sansho. I was just telling them about your famous Curry of Life!"

"Why, you're much too kind my dear boy. And are these friends of yours, dear?"

"Yep, this is Zack, and that's Cloud."

"I see, well, any friend of Naruto Uzumaki is a friend of mine. Karashi! Get out here and help Ranmaru bring three plates of our specialty right over!"

"Y-Yes mother."

It took only moments for each of them to receive their plates and Zack tried to protest and offer her Gil, but the woman and her sons insisted that they were her dinner guests, as friends of Naruto. It was good, but it was also almost unbearably hot. Still, Cloud found that he'd finished the plate and two more soda refills before he'd managed to decide he was done eating or not.

In the mean time, Zack and Naruto had done most of the talking, and Cloud found himself getting more than a little annoyed at how perfectly they were getting along. Zack had always had that affect on people- it was like he was some sort of a magnet- people were just drawn to him. Naruto had this quality too, but physically Cloud was hopelessly attracted to Zack's dark hair and his tall, incredibly powerful body. Zack had turned 18 only a few days ago, but his musculature was already better developed than most men in their twenty's. Cloud felt small, pale and pathetic in comparison, but he wasn't going to admit it. After all, Zack was a sex god who gave all of his time to women- or at least he did when he wasn't drunk, anyway…

Unfortunately, Zack was more interested in talking than anything after he'd settled for soda when he heard that this place had a strange age limit on alcohol sales that their world lacked. So, it didn't look like falling- or jumping- into his lap was going to work this time.

"Right, Cloud?"

He looked over at Zack and blushed. "Sorry- what was that?"

"I said it's been a long day, if you're tired you ought to go to bed."

"I'm not tired!"

Zack smirked. "Cloud, you're spacing out and you've sighed like five times in less than two minutes."

Cloud scowled and took another drink, trying to hide the deepening blush staining his cheeks. "Fine."

"Just head up to room 16, and tell Sasuke to let you in to my room. Tell him Granny Sansho said it's okay for you guys to take my room and I'll stay with him. "

"What- why?"

"You've been spaced out longer than I thought, Cloud." Zack chuckled. "The money system is different from ours back home, but Naruto said he and his friend will help us find a way home if we help them with their mission to rescue a kidnapped baby."

_'Mission? He doesn't look old enough to be on a mission...'_ Cloud found his cheeks getting warmer again at the fact that he'd missed so much, but rescue a kidnapped baby? What kind of a monster would kidnap a baby? As disturbing as he found all of that, lying down before he embarrassed himself by kissing Zack again would be nice and taking a shower sounded good too. "I'll uh… see you two later then, and it was nice to meet you, Naruto."

Yeah, you too, Cloud." Naruto said, flashing him a warm smile.

"Yeah, don't wait up for me, Cloud." Cloud grinned a little at the purr laced into Zack's words, but his heart clenched painfully and he was glad to be leaving and headed up the stairs to the guest rooms. It sucked when you're in love with your straight best friend, it really did…

He followed the room numbers without paying much attention to his surroundings and suddenly found himself face to face with the most beautiful black eyes he'd ever seen. Those eyes were sharp, intelligent and cunning- and the face that framed them was gorgeous. The boy couldn't have been any older than himself, but looking at him, Cloud was mesmerized by his pale skin and the fact that his hair looked so much like Zack's. He imagined this might be what Zack looked like when he was younger- but…

"Like something you see?" The boy had the sexiest voice Cloud had ever heard.

Cloud blushed and looked at the floor when he realized he'd been staring and the boy was practically purring at him. Of course he'd been hit on before in the showers and stuff at the barracks, but he'd never taken it seriously before. The difference was how completely attracted he felt to this boy.

"I-I'm just looking for Room 16…"

"You found it, sooo what brings you up here to _my_ room?" The boy purred. When he crossed his arms over his chest, Cloud noticed the boy was wearing all black except for an olive green vest with a lot of pockets on it, and shoes that left his toes exposed. He was taller than Cloud, but only by a few inches, and his build was deceptively light and powerful. "Hn?"

Cloud blushed even more but didn't look up when the other boy took a step toward him.

"W-Well, Naruto said you would'd let me into his room…"

The dark haired boy chuckled. "Or I could just keep you for myself… I'm Sasuke, by the way."

Cloud blushed at the insinuation in Sasuke's voice, but he only managed to say his name rather than explain what Naruto had told him. "Cloud- I'm Cloud."

"Hn." Sasuke smirked, looking wickedly sensual- not to mention he had the devious spark in his eyes of someone that was planning something...

"I uh…"

"You look a lot like him, you know…"

"Y-You mean Naruto, right?" Cloud felt like a butterfly caught in a spider web, but the boy had a sinfully sexy voice and he suddenly felt like he'd had three beers in less than an hour again. Cloud was shocked when he realized he was getting a little hot just looking at him. His arousal twitched, as he looked up, trying to meet those mesmerizing obsidian eyes again. They were looking back at him, playfully flirtatious- yet still burning with an underlying intensity that promised all the passion he desperately wanted from Zack...

"Yes, my idiot _best friend._" Sasuke's words were laced with a strange combination of mocking sarcasm and something that hinged on the edge of despair- it reminded Cloud of how he felt about Zack... The boy took another step toward him and this time Cloud backed up, and found himself pressed against the wall. "I remind you of someone too, don't I?"

Cloud hesitated, biting his lip as he considered the question, wondering if he ought to feel ashamed of what he was feeling. He certainly wasn't ready to admit to what he knew he was already considering... "Zack."

Cloud could tell by the way Sasuke smirked that that was the response he'd been expecting. "And you _want _him."

It was a statement, not a question and Cloud swallowed and licked his lips nervously. No one he was attracted to had ever talked to him like this before! Where had this boy come from- Cloud would never have the guts to be so forward- especially with another guy? Damn it… Why was he was getting hard just from standing in front of a complete stranger? Had someone slipped something in his soda or was this mysterious boy just that damn sexy?

Sexy? It sounded weird to even think that about another boy, but it was undeniably true. Sasuke wasn't like anyone else he'd ever met and Cloud found his boldness intoxicating. It made Cloud wish he could be like that; he wanted Zack to feel as drawn to him as he was to Sasuke at this moment.

"You _do_ want Zack, don't you?" Sasuke said it softer this time. Cloud looked up and wished he hadn't. Sasuke was close enough to kiss him now and Cloud was hoping he would. "So, would you consider me instead?"

He knew that Sasuke was expecting him to answer, but he found it difficult to breathe much less think when he looked into those eyes-

"Talk to me, Cloud." He purred, using a voice that made him feel weak in the knees. "Tell me what _you_ want."

"I…"

"Hn?" Sasuke's sleek body pressed his into the wall and he neatly parted Cloud's thighs with one knee as if they were old lovers and this was a game they played… Cloud blushed even more, embarrassed that he wanted to feel more of Sasuke against his body. He sucked in a sharp breath when he felt Sasuke's lips brush lightly against his.

"But I-I don't… even know you!"

Sasuke only chuckled softly, "Obviously, that doesn't make the attraction any less real, does it, _Cloud_? Look, we've established that you aren't Naruto and I'm not Zack, but I want your help to get Naruto's attention. So, haven't you ever wanted your Zack to see what he's missing whenever he isn't with you?"

Cloud scowled, he was about to say no, but the very next night after that incident in that bar, he'd seen Zack out with some blonde girl and nearly attacked both of them in frustration. It hurt worse than anything he'd ever felt- suddenly seeing the proof that a memory that meant everything to him was just an enjoyable accident to Zack…

Cloud nodded, but blushed. "But I… I've never- even kissed anyone but him! And well, that was just an accident…"

Sasuke only smirked again, the intensity he saw in those unfathomable eyes made Cloud's legs feel like jelly and made the liquid heat pooling in his belly almost painful. "Then you're going to love this…"

Cloud tried to look away, but Sasuke lifted his chin gently and softly claimed his lips again. This time the gentle brush of his lips lingered, and he closed his eyes, relaxing instinctively into the silky caress.

* * *

The innocent reactions he was getting from Cloud were arousing him more than the sexual act with anyone else he'd ever been with. He knew that was mostly because of his uncanny resemblance to Naruto, but there was definitely something about Cloud himself, that made Sasuke absurdly determined to be the boy's first lover.

Sasuke kissed him softly and innocently, using only his lips to tease the boy, until Cloud's arms came to rest along his shoulders, instinctively seeking more contact with his body. Sasuke brushed his tongue lightly along the seam of Cloud's soft lips and chuckled at the soft moan he heard as Cloud opened his mouth, allowing him to taste him.

'Not bad,' Sasuke thought. Their tongues brushed lightly, causing Cloud to moan softly and liquid fire to pool in Sasuke's belly. The temptation to seduce the boy right there in the hall was strong, but the more he kissed him, the more certain he became that this was much too interesting to be just a one time tryst.

He'd sensed the boy's insecurity even when he'd first seen him from a distance, so he was pleased that the boy was reacting so passionately already. The blond wasn't Naruto, but he was certainly attractive in his own way. All of Cloud's pale beauty and adorable shyness aside, Sasuke was pleasantly surprised by how much he was already enjoying the game he'd started.

He excelled at seduction naturally and he knew why. The Sharingan's hypnotic gaze had interesting applications in the bedroom. He'd learned very quickly during his self imposed exile to Sound that he didn't need to activate his bloodline's gift, to tap into a portion of its power.

Unfortunately, Naruto already had a lover and as far as Sasuke was concerned, the idiot had no say in _his_ sex life because of it. Sakura had agreed to be Naruto's girlfriend before Sasuke's return. Because his idiotic stubbornness had finally paid off in winning the affections of his childhood crush, Naruto refused to break up with her. Sasuke might have been happy for them except that he'd only returned to Konoha because he was in love with the blond and now that Itachi was gone, he was free to start his life over again. It was mainly because of Sakura and Naruto's help and support that he'd been allowed back into the village at all, but Sasuke was an Uchiha and he wasn't fond of waiting to get what he wanted.

Naruto wasn't ready to admit he wanted him as anything more than his best friend though, and Sasuke was getting really damn tired of that bullshit. Now that Naruto had unwittingly tossed the perfect revenge right into his lap, he figured that jealousy would have to get the idiot's attention, because nothing else seemed to be working…

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is for Marilena who teased me that my prologue was too short! Happy reading!


	3. Dangerous Bonds

Chapter 3

_Sasuke only smirked again, the intensity he saw in those unfathomable eyes made Cloud's legs feel like jelly and made the liquid heat pooling in his belly almost painful. "Then you're going to love this…"_

_Cloud tried to look away, but Sasuke lifted his chin gently and softly claimed his lips again. This time the gentle kiss lingered, and Cloud closed his eyes, relaxing into the silky caress. _

Cloud could feel his whole body responding with an overwhelming desire for more; his arms wrapped around the other boy's shoulders and Sasuke stroked his lips with his tongue. Cloud moaned, telling himself that he _wanted_ this as much as his body seemed to need it. Sasuke seemed to be content to tease him into wanting more. Cloud was getting painfully hard and all they were doing was kissing.

Cloud tried to pull away, to catch his breath, but Sasuke only grasped his buttocks, and nipped his throat. The closeness of their bodies made it obvious that Sasuke wanted him too, and Cloud ground his hips against him as he shyly pressed his lips to Sasuke's.

He sighed with relief when Sasuke kissed him back, moving his tongue with the grace of a dancer as he continued exploring Cloud's mouth. He was breathless and dazed when Sasuke broke the kiss and gave him another wicked smirk. "Ready for more?"

'_Huh? It gets better than this?'_ Cloud wondered.

Sasuke chuckled, and nipped his ear. "It will get much better if you want it to, _Cloud_."

Cloud blushed and looked around, trying to stall for time. '_How did we get in here?'_

The fact that they were now in the bedroom scared him a little. _'Are we really doing this?'_

When he'd made out with Zack in the bar, at least they'd been about the only people still in there and they'd both been drunk anyway. Making out with a stranger in the hallway of an inn in the middle of the afternoon- Cloud just couldn't explain that. He'd never done anything like that- he never thought he'd want to, either…

When Cloud scowled and pulled away, Sasuke chuckled again.

"W-We shouldn't do this- it isn't right for us to… use each other…" Cloud said, staring at the floor. He almost hoped that Sasuke would be mad enough at him to just leave him alone…

"Maybe. But, by the same token, is there a point to existing, if you never even try to get what you know will make you happy?"

"You can't just force someone to love you!" Cloud sighed.

"If they get jealous, it will mean they aren't really being honest about how they feel about us, won't it?"

'_But…' _Cloud scowled, but Sasuke's expression was inscrutable.

Sasuke'd managed to get him into the room easily enough that Cloud knew he could have more or less seduced him already, but he hadn't- he'd stopped on his own and given him the choice. Cloud was grateful for that, but he didn't want to see anyone to get hurt… If Zack actually did like him as more than a friend, Cloud certainly didn't want him to think that he was a cheap slut that would jump in bed with just anyone…

"What about what they will think- I mean… of us?"

"I figured you'd never done casual before." Sasuke shrugged. "Look, nothing that's happened between Naruto and Sakura affects how I feel about him. Nothing I do with anyone else will ever change how I feel about the idiot either. As far as I'm concerned, what happens between you and I, is our business."

"But… Why me?"

Sasuke smirked and Cloud knew he was blushing again. "No, really, I mean it. Y-You're so- I mean, you could have picked anyone to do this to… so why me?"

Sasuke chuckled. "I liked the way you looked at me when our eyes first met. I've never been looked at that way before, not by anyone."

The other boy looked dreadfully mischievous again, but Cloud didn't really mind. He found it difficult to breathe again, much less talk though, so he stepped back... "L-Like what?"

They had only just met- and Sasuke was obviously not opposed to showing his manipulative nature- that was actually part of his attraction. Cloud was hopelessly drawn to his boldness and that silky self-confidence. Cloud was still backing up though, trying to find something else to talk about- but he backed right into something hard and his knees suddenly turned into jelly. He flailed around wildly as he toppled backward and latched onto Sasuke's shirt pulling him down on top of him as he frantically tried to stay up.

He blushed as he realized he'd fallen into the bed- and not only was Sasuke was on top of him, but his shirt was torn.

Before Cloud could apologize, Sasuke smirked playfully, brushing his lips lightly against Cloud's. "Good thinking, this is more comfortable, and you know you're giving me that look again, right? You want me to kiss you again, don't you, _Cloud?_"

Cloud squirmed under the weight of Sasuke's intense gaze; he couldn't quite meet those sultry dark eyes, but he smiled shyly and nodded. He could feel his blush deepening, but he just wasn't as embarrassed as he thought he should be at hearing that. Sasuke's playful flirting made him feel sexy even though he knew that falling into bed the way they had was anything but… He really liked Sasuke and he wanted that to be the only thing that mattered. Even if it wasn't right; just this once he wanted to be this impulsive. He wanted to take what Sasuke was offering him.

Sasuke kissed him again, tugging gently at Cloud's lower lip, before tracing the seam of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. Cloud gave a soft moan as he opened his mouth, kissing was better with Sasuke's warm, lean body on top of him. His clothes were starting to feel uncomfortably tight and heavy though. He moaned, sucking on Sasuke's bottom lip when he felt Sasuke slide one muscular leg in between his, aware that this time he'd been the one that chose to deepen the kiss.

Cloud hadn't realized he still had his rifle slung over his shoulder until Sasuke sat up to push it off the bed. Cloud half expected to hear a shot, but luckily the safety was still on, and then his green scarf was gone too- Sasuke distracted him with another kiss while he reached down to unbuckling the harness of his uniform.

Cloud thought about trying to protest, but sat up and kissed him instead. That drew a smirk from Sasuke, but neither spoke, instead the kiss became passionate quickly. Sasuke purred, as he pulled off what was left of his shirt, and Cloud wrapped his arms around him. Sasuke's pale skin was soft and smooth, but it covered a surprising amount of muscle and Cloud blushed a little as he wondered what it would feel like to touch him everywhere.

The raven arranged himself so that he was still above him, but ended up straddling his hips so that he wasn't resting much of his weight on him. Cloud missed the way Sasuke's body felt against his groin though, so he gasped the back of Sasuke's thighs to pull him against him again.

Sasuke chuckled softly at his sudden movement but countered with one of his own. He reached down to grasp Cloud's arousal through his pants, squeezing it in time with their kisses. Cloud shuddered and gasped loudly as Sasuke shoved the harness for his shoulder pads off of his shoulders and then pushed him back onto the bed in the same smooth motion while he was dazed.

Sasuke leaned down and kissed his jaw and then moved slowly down his neck as his shirt came unbuttoned. Cloud moaned, and tipped his head back and bucked his hips. He held on tightly to the raven as he began to nibble and suck his throat. He felt dazed and confused, but instinctively he knew he needed more. Sasuke helped him get his arms out of his sleeves and then climbed between his legs. Cloud arched his back and held on tightly as Sasuke shifted his weight off of him again.

"D-Don't tease…"

Sasuke captured his lips again, kissing him passionately, letting their hips grind together until Cloud had to break the kiss just to breathe. "Relax, you'll get what you want, baby."

It was hard to believe all the things he was feeling and how much he wanted more of all of it, but in spite of having a huge erection, the other boy seemed completely content to tease and caress him. Cloud wanted to be more… involved, he just couldn't concentrate on touching Sasuke while the raven was touching him!

He felt something tighten almost painfully in his chest when he reached down to pull Sasuke against him again and the other boy just purred and kissed him again before he started unzipping his pants.

'_You're taking it slowly for me...' _Cloud wasn't a girl- but he had to admit he was glad that Sasuke was giving him the opportunity to get used to being touched like this. He'd heard terrible stories in the barracks from guys that weren't this lucky their first time with another guy- and yet at the same time, he knew this wasn't over… Cloud felt Sasuke begin to slide his pants down over his hips and stiffened- freezing instantly, his heartbeat sped up too.

Sasuke smirked and kissed his lips again- patiently allowing him time to relax and start to respond again.

Cloud blushed as he deepened the kiss. He'd felt remarkably safe with him, so far, so he was confused by his sudden start- but Sasuke seemed to understand. His kisses and his touch remained passionate and generous- lavishing attention on him that invited him to respond. Not once had he forcefully demanded submission.

'_This isn't just sex- we're making love. This is how you want to touch Naruto… and how I wish Zack would touch me.' _

Cloud shivered, as he looked up at Sasuke- his unfathomably dark eyes were closed while he kissed and licked one of Cloud' hard nipples.

'_You are so beautiful like this- how could Naruto choose to be with anyone else?' _

Sasuke nipped the taut little kernel, and Cloud gasped mindlessly at the deliciously unexpected shiver of pleasure. It made him bury his fingers in his lover's silky dark hair, tugging him closer, begging him not to stop.

Cloud allowed himself a small smile… He'd never thought he would willingly use the word lover to describe another man, but the liquid desire that'd been steadily pooling in his belly seemed to like it, because the aching tension in his groin was quickly becoming unbearable.

"S-S'ske…" Cloud gasped and pushed his hips up into the firm body above him when Sasuke lazily flicked his other nipple with his tongue.

"Like that?" Sasuke purred.

Cloud nodded, and tried to wriggle his hips enough to get out of his pants. "Y-Yes."

Sasuke grinned and stood up to help him pull down his pants but they both ended up pausing to take their remaining clothes off. Sasuke's clothes and shoes came off easily while Cloud's bootlaces seemed to have tied themselves in impossible knots. Cloud had never felt so hot and nervous at the same time, and he was determined not to stare, so he just kept busy trying to get his boots off.

He shivered as soft, warm lips kissed the back of his neck. He didn't know when Sasuke had slipped behind him, but he leaned into him, forgetting about his boots completely. Sasuke teased him for a while- touching him everywhere while he kissed and licked his neck. He found a particularly sensitive spot along the thick muscle where his neck and shoulder met and nipped it, then started to suck on it- hard. Cloud moaned and finally kicked his boots and his socks off, and squirmed around to kiss Sasuke.

He started to scoot toward the middle of the bed, but Sasuke took his hand and pulled him up. "I don't want to hurt you, so let's do this in the shower this time."

"T-This time?"

Cloud hadn't really imagined doing this more than once, but Sasuke nodded casually. "Yes, I'll have to make sure you can keep Zack once you get him, or my plan will never work on Naruto."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked suspiciously.

Sasuke scowled at the question, but slowly his expression softened just a little and he slid his gaze to the floor. "That means Naruto has good reason not to trust me with his heart right now."

Cloud saw the shame in his eyes and wondered what could've happened, but he felt guilty for bringing it up something that was obviously painful for him when things had been going so well a moment earlier. "You want to show him that you've changed by helping me get Zack?"

Sasuke nodded but there was wariness about him now that reminded Cloud of someone much older. His eyes in particular had the look of a person that had already seen too much tragedy but was just too stubborn to die. It made him sad to see anyone like that.

Cloud gave him a tiny smile and blushed. "So, you're going to teach me to be as sexy as you are?"

"You're already sexy, Cloud, the way you look at me with those huge blue eyes makes me want to fuck you senseless."

"That's not funny-" Cloud started indignantly, but Sasuke smirked and then shut him up with a leisurely kiss.

Cloud didn't try to pull away, but he didn't kiss him back either- at least not until Sasuke pushed him up against the wall, and thrust one knee in between Cloud's thighs. The friction and the way it felt having his warm back pressed up against him and the cold wall while they were kissing was impossible to ignore.

"Being shy is only makes you more irresistible because you're not afraid of what I'm making you feel, that means you're passionate by nature." Sasuke purred as the long kiss finally broke.

Sasuke grasped his erection and stroked it lightly from the base to the tip; no one had ever touched him like _that_ before, it felt amazing. Cloud moaned arched his back, and held onto him tightly. "Desire like this is _always_ sexy, Cloud; every time I touch you, the way you respond just makes me want to touch you more."

"Then don't s-stop."

He heard a chuckle, but this time Cloud leaned in to kiss _him_. Well, actually, it was hard to concentrate on what his lips with the hand job he was getting, but Sasuke still seemed it be enjoying kissing him back.

'_God yes…" _He moaned into their kiss as he felt Sasuke grasp his butt and pulled him closer.

"_How do you stay so calm when we kiss like this?'_ Cloud wondered and wrapped his legs around Sasuke's waist. This new position would've seemed precarious- not to mention embarrassing- earlier, but at the moment, it felt right. He knew what his body was asking for- and he wanted Sasuke to give it to him.

Sasuke was obviously stronger than he looked, because he had no trouble holding him or carrying him into the bathroom and he started the water in the shower without really interrupting their kisses either.

The water was warm in the shower and felt good on his skin after the long day he'd had. Sasuke was able to hold onto him easily even in the water- though Cloud wasn't thinking about much of anything the next time he was pressed up against the wall.

Their kisses were passionate, but Cloud was more interested in the way Sasuke was grinding against him. He shivered and froze when he felt something slick glide gently along his entrance. Since Junon he'd experimented with a dildo a few times, but never managed to become comfortable with the idea long enough to actually try inserting it…

He blushed, it should have been embarrassing to think that he was going to loose his virginity with a guy he didn't really know, but Cloud kissed him again- fiercely this time. He was determined to finish this. He'd known this was coming and he didn't want to back out of it now…. His boldness drew a smirk from his Sasuke, whose touch was gentle as he slid one finger inside him.

Both of them stilled for a moment, but then Sasuke pressed his back into the wall and kissed his ear. He loved the way Sasuke purred as he moaned and shifted his hips- the return of that exquisite friction against his member reminded him of what an amazing lover he'd have if he could get through this.

Cloud gasped- in pain as Sasuke pushed his finger deeper, it felt weird inside and it was painfully tight when he moved it, but it wasn't as bad as he was expecting it to be…

He tried to concentrate on the pleasure of having Sasuke's body grinding against him, but by the time there were three fingers inside him, it wasn't just discomfort anymore- it hurt. That was probably why he was so unprepared for the jolt of pleasure that ripped through his body when the invading fingertips pushed against something inside him. The sensitivity of his prostate seemed unbelievable- it caused him to cry out, and left him momentarily breathless.

"Let's do that again, shall we?" Sasuke purred, shifting Cloud so that his entrance was lined up with his arousal.

Cloud didn't answer- he wasn't sure how Sasuke intended to find it again since he couldn't see what he was doing in the first place. Besides- he was more worried about how _that_ was supposed to fit up there when it already hurt with only three fingers...

He hissed and tried to hide the tears that were threatening to fall by burying his face in Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke stopped- still only half way inside him. He gently cupped Cloud's chin and took a moment to kiss him sweetly. "I didn't want to hurt you; I'm sorry, Cloud. But I knew that telling you to relax would've made you more nervous…"

He nodded absently- that was another thing he'd heard from other guys around the barracks, so he managed a small smile and Sasuke nuzzled him affectionately.

"Don't you need to put me down?"

Sasuke smirked and shook his head. "Right now the wall and your legs are doing most of the work; so I've got you right where I want you."

He blushed, maybe he should've expected it, but he still squirmed under the weight of that predatory grin, and that slight movement allowed Sasuke to move deeper inside him, and it drew a gasp of pleasure from both of them.

Cloud was still aware of the tension in his body, but the feeling of being torn in half had been replaced by a curious sensation of being completely filled. He shifted again- upwards this time and then slid down and that strange but intriguing sensation intensified. He moaned but looked up at nervously, Sasuke was watching him quietly; his expression was a curious mixture of amusement and lust.

"Is it- supposed to feel like this?" He noticed he sounded breathless.

Sasuke's amusement grew. "That depends- does it make you want me deeper inside you?"

"I was serious, Bastard..." Cloud froze- he couldn't believe he'd said that.

Luckily, just Sasuke smirked, his voice was pure sin. "So was I. Welcome to the majority viewpoint, but I did like watching you ride me- wanna do it again?"

He blushed, but only because the invitation turned him on. He decided not to talk anymore though and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and kissed him awkwardly instead. The adjustment between them allowed Sasuke get to get deeper inside him, and Cloud moaned into the kiss as his prostate was given a firm nudge.

Cloud instantly shifted his weight, tipping his head back with ecstasy. He just hoped that his lover could maintain the control he'd been showing so far and wouldn't drop him.

Sasuke kissed him again, passionately and the two of them built up a rhythm of deep thrusts that made Cloud's whole body exquisitely tense in anticipation. As good as it felt, the more they did it, the more he wanted it, but there was another kind of tension building up inside him that was harder to ignore, and the tightness it was causing made him ache for release.

"Touch yourself, baby. I need to feel you cum on my cock, Cloud."

Cloud moaned- but he knew instinctively where Sasuke wanted him to touch himself; he was already too turned on to feel embarrassed by anything. He grasped his member and stroked it, but it didn't matter that he couldn't find a good rhythm because with the double stimulation, it didn't take him long to cum.

The first thing he noticed, was that the water was cool now, but he was too tired to reach over and turn the dial as it poured over them. He wasn't the only one panting breathlessly as full awareness tried to return, he rested his forehead against Sasuke's shoulder. He was sitting on his lap now, he noticed, because his lover was on his knees on the floor of the shower, both of their stomachs were splattered white and Cloud grimaced and quickly wiped it away with a washcloth.

Sasuke looked oddly disappointed, but he smirked at the questioning look Cloud gave him. "I was going to lick that off of you, but I guess there's always later…"

'_What makes you think we'll be doing this again?' _Cloud blushed, instantly aroused by thoughts of Sasuke doing just that. He shoved him playfully and tried to get up, but sharp pain in his back- _**and**_ his butt- made him collapse instead. "Pervert…"

Sasuke just looked at him challengingly and purred. "You wouldn't have just had that orgasm if I _wasn't_."

'_It's disturbingly hard to argue with that kind of logic…'_ He watched warily as Sasuke stood up and shut off the water before he grabbed his arm over his shoulder and helped him to stand. Cloud blushed, but didn't say anything when he was lightly rubbed dry with a towel.

Mind blowing orgasm or not, Cloud wasn't convinced that _anything_ was worth this kind of embarrassment.

He could barely stand up and he didn't think he could walk either, but Sasuke already seemed to know that; he picked him up and carried him to the bed. He blushed, he was pretty tired, but Sasuke was already half hard again and Cloud wasn't sure he wanted to know what he was up to this time. Sasuke pulled back the covers and put him down by the bed. "You will feel better when you wake up if I give you a back rub now."

"You don't have to do that…" Cloud said, and sat down- and then winced uncomfortably. "I'm not a girl."

"Gender is overrated. I find most of humanity equally annoying but I do like _you_, Cloud." Sasuke purred and nuzzled his neck. "I like touching you. I like kissing you, and I like the way you blush when I turn you on, but we can do more of that later. Lie down on your stomach. This will help you go to sleep."

Cloud decided to trust him when Sasuke wandered into the bathroom and came back to the bed with a few courtesy bottles of lotion. "Oil would work best, but this stuff will be better than nothing."

He noticed that Sasuke was wearing his boxers, but when Cloud reached for his, the other boy sat on him, straddling his hips. "You can hide under the sheets, but you won't want those by the time I'm done."

He sighed but yawned. He was too tired to argue, so he grabbed a pillow and it didn't take him long to get comfortable on the bed. Sasuke was felt warm and he seemed to be keeping his promise too. Cloud could feel the strength in his hands, but they were gentle as they smoothed the lotion onto his shoulders. Cloud closed his eyes as those hands worked their way down his back too, always moving in slow, deep circles that eased the tension and the pain out of his body.

Sasuke could feel the warm, lithe body beneath him relaxing into a deep sleep and smirked, but he didn't stop.

Usually, everything Cloud was feeling showed up clearly in his huge blue eyes, so the blond was almost painfully easy to read, but that only seemed to make him more stunningly attractive- which was why Sasuke wasn't bored with him yet. He liked Cloud's shy nature and the quiet intelligence he saw in the boy's eyes. He wasn't completely naïve; he just chose to keep most of what he was thinking inside, which told him that the boy was probably much smarter than he was letting on.

He continued his rubdown, paying special attention to Cloud's lower back.

The attractive boy had no self confidence, and his mind was undisciplined so he'd easily been able to sense his thoughts because of Cloud's strong will. As a ninja he was used to that, so the fact that he'd slipped once by responding directly surprised him. Fortunately Cloud hadn't realized at the time that he'd only been thinking. As amusing as that was, Sasuke hadn't allowed Cloud to read his thoughts in return, but was aware that it would make having sex with him even more passionate if he did.

By the time he'd moved down the backs of Cloud's thighs, Sasuke was relaxed enough to start feeling tired too.

Most of his thoughts were still colored by the darkness of his past- and he knew that wasn't likely to change even with his freedom. The village still considered him an enigma and he preferred it that way, so he was used to using his chakra as a barrier to keep anyone from sensing too much, but Naruto could usually understand him anyway. As many times as they had butted heads in combat and as friends, Sasuke needed that bond with him. Naruto had been avoiding it more and more over the last few months though, and that hurt him more than he could admit.

He sighed, barely noticing the perfect ass he was massaging.

As much as he already liked Cloud, he couldn't forget that he still had a mission to do too…

He didn't like where his thoughts were leading him while his hands were busy. This was dangerous territory for any ninja, but as he dozed off beside Cloud, he knew he was more relaxed than he'd been in months. He'd never liked casual encounters, so they were rare for him, but he knew he needed the release tonight almost as badly as he needed this chance to show Naruto how much they still needed each other…

Cloud wasn't sure where he was at, but the sun appeared to be setting outside, bathing the room and everything in it with warm golden light.

His whole body felt more relaxed and content than he could remember ever feeling before. The sheets draped over him were clean and smelled nice, but the soft, warm skin against his back and the tattooed- decidedly masculine arm draped across his waist came as a surprise.

His thoughts were almost frantic until he remembered Sasuke. Cloud squirmed around enough to look at him, and relaxed instantly. Sasuke looked beautiful in his sleep. Cloud loved his eyes and the confidence that they radiated- but right now he looked relaxed. He also looked much younger and at the moment, he could almost believe that he could trust him.

That shower- he blushed. He'd never imagined having someone else touching his body could feel like that. He tried not to remember how much he'd enjoyed everything from their first kiss to- well, even right now was pretty nice. He understood now why most people were so interested in sex, but at the same time, he felt uneasy, wondering what was going to happen next…

'_I mean, I'm glad we met… but is it okay that I'm still here?' _

He thought about getting up and getting dressed and then trying to forget that he'd ever met him- but he liked Sasuke. He was a fascinating puzzle and Cloud felt safe with him. He just hoped he wasn't trying to fool himself; he knew very little about his bedmate, but he believed that Sasuke really did love Naruto. He couldn't forget the dangerous cunning or the flashes of pain he'd seen in Sasuke's eyes and he wondered again what kind of life could've forced someone this strong to hurt someone he loved so much…

His eyes were drawn back to Sasuke's arm; he vaguely remembered thinking that the matching tattoos on his forearms looked like some kind of an ancient ward or a seal, but there was a purple snake curled around his bicep he hadn't noticed before.

Cloud laid there quietly for a while, watching him sleep, but he wasn't sure why he was getting a little hard again just looking at the other boy. He traced the long slender tail of the tattoo, stroking it with just his fingertips, but the muscles under it flexed gracefully as Sasuke stirred, glaring at him rather adorably as he awakened. "Sorry- I didn't mean to wake you…"

Sasuke shrugged lazily. "Feeling better?"

Cloud nodded, and then grinned when Sasuke still didn't move to get off of him.

"Hn."

"You're not a morning person, are you?"

His answer was another sleepy glare. Cloud laughed; relieved that Sasuke seemed more human when he was using him for a pillow. "Okay, it isn't actually morning…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and growled. "So, the idiot talked you into trying the old woman's Curry of Life…"

Cloud nodded, now that he thought about it, he had been feeling strangely reenergized- and he could still taste the curry a little too, but he didn't get to say that, he was too busy moaning softly on the receiving end of a kiss.

"Remind me to thank him later."

Cloud grinned. He would have nodded, but he was just too busy answering that kiss with one of his own, to think about later.

Their kisses were deep, passionate and rather than playful this time, this told Cloud noticed the other boy seemed to want him more this time- or at least he was willing to show it more. Sasuke slid between his legs easily and the way he ground his body into Cloud's made it impossible to think of anything but getting the other boy inside him again. That was why Cloud wasn't sure what was going on when a light came on behind Sasuke in the direction of the door. Sasuke didn't seem to notice, until Cloud stopped kissing him back.

"S-Sas'ke?" The voice was soft, but that was part of what made Cloud cringe- it was Naruto. Cloud hid quietly behind Sasuke and wished he could disappear as the whiskered blond glared at Sasuke. "Damn it… Can I talk to for a minute, Bastard?"

"No, I don't have anything to say to _you_ right now, Idiot." Sasuke's voice was low and dangerously quiet.

"This isn't funny and it isn't like you at all, Sasuke. So what the hell is going on?" Naruto shouted.

"That should be obvious, Idiot. As usual, you're causing a scene, and worse, you're upsetting my boyfriend. Wasn't it your brilliant idea that I should be _friendly _for once?" Sasuke was still keeping his voice down, but the sarcasm was bone chilling- Cloud didn't want them to fight anymore, but he couldn't reach his clothes so he didn't feel right trying to leave.

Meanwhile, Naruto actually choked on his response to that, gaping like a fish out of water right before he slammed the door. It might have been funny except that Cloud had never been so completely embarrassed or humiliated. He curled up and tried to hide in the pillows, but Sasuke embraced him from behind and kissed him lightly on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I should have known he'd wake up the entire Inn…"

"It just got dark, so no one is probably asleep yet…"

"Hn. Are you hungry? Since he totally wrecked the mood, we could get dressed and go eat downstairs."

Cloud would've liked to stay hidden up here in the sheets of the bed. But he knew that Sasuke hadn't eaten with them earlier, and he certainly didn't want to be alone, so he nodded reluctantly and started to get dressed. When he started pulling on his armor, Sasuke smirked and shook his head. "Leave that here, you won't need it, and I'd just have to take it off of you again later."

He blushed, looking at the floor. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke came over to him when he noticed he hadn't moved. "What?"

"Did you mean it? I mean- when you told him I was your… boyfriend?"

"Yes. They wouldn't react as well if we just look like fuck buddies."

Cloud looked mortified, but Sasuke leaned in and kissed him gently. "There's already a bond between us, Cloud- we both want someone we can't have. Now let's get out of here before I pounce on you again."


	4. Unknown Enemies

Chapter 3

'Is he still asleep?'_ He'd wondered, observing from the hall that no light was coming into the corridor from under the door. It wasn't like Sasuke to take a nap anyway, so why was he taking such a long one? Naruto smirked, _'Maybe he's just meditating, but ready or not, here I come!'

_He considered using a flicker of his chakra to warn the other ninja that he was coming to bug him, but then he chuckled low. _'It's so cute when he's pissed because he just woke up...'

_The light coming into the room behind him illuminated the darkness just well enough that he could make out a large shape in the bed, but as he opened it more; he realized it was two shapes. Two figures locked in a passionate kiss, one was undoubtedly Sasuke. His smooth, catlike grace, his pale, chiseled body and that hairstyle would stand out anywhere. The figure under him, rubbing his hands all over Sasuke's chest and shoulders took him a bit longer to process. Wildly spiked blond hair and a pale body with an especially lithe build- Cloud? Passionate but tender, their kisses deepened smoothly- until the blond finally realized that he was there and Naruto's stunned silence turned into anger; he scowled at him. _

_Cloud looked away quickly, his eyes were ashamed and he tried to hide under Sasuke._

_For a terrible moment, Naruto felt betrayed- by both of them- but he knew that Cloud wasn't the one to blame for something like this. Sasuke seduced him. But- __**why**__?_

"_S-Sas'ke?" At first, he barely managed a whisper, but it was enough to get Sasuke's attention. As he continued, he got louder. "Damn it. Can I talk to you for a minute, _Bastard_?"_

"_No. I don't have anything to say to _you_ right now, Idiot." Sasuke's voice was calm and dismissive, but Naruto glared at him without budging._

"_This isn't funny and it isn't like you at all, Sasuke. So what the hell is going on?" _

"_That should be obvious, Idiot. As usual, you're causing a scene, and worse, you're upsetting my boyfriend. Wasn't it your brilliant idea that I ought to be _friendly_ for once?" Sasuke's scathing sarcasm was tough enough for Naruto to swallow under the best circumstances; but having his own words thrown back at him at a moment like this, only left him hurt and confused. 'And yet- why should I even care if he wants Cloud? I have Sakura!'_

He stormed back down the stairs, and outside into the forest. They'd been kissing so passionately- it was like they were really lovers. He couldn't believe it; he'd never seen Sasuke like that before. He'd never imagined the bastard could be so gentle with anyone-

"Hey, there you- uh oh," Zack said, putting a hand on his shoulder, he turned him around. "What's wrong? You look like you just lost your best friend."

"Maybe I did…"

"What do you mean?"

Naruto was blushing as he turned around to face the older boy. Zack was cool and great company, but he was very protective of Cloud- how was he going to react to this? _'Should I tell him?'_

"It's just…" Naruto sighed. "Sasuke- sometimes I wonder if I really know him at all when he's such a bastard…"

"So you're still fighting?"

"I guess. I didn't even get to talk to him- he's kind of busy with… his _boyfriend_…"

Zack chuckled.

"Trust me, it's not funny! He and Cloud just met you know! Don't you think that's kind of sudden?"

Zack was listening now- he'd stopped laughing, but he only looked serious for a moment before he grinned again. "That depends- how busy were they?"

"The last time I saw two people kissing like _**that,**_ it was on one of those weird porno tapes that Kakashi-sensei left over at Iruka's place…" Naruto blushed and Zack laughed again.

"Come on, let's go back inside. Don't you kiss your girlfriend that way?"

"W-Well I haven't… I mean," Naruto sighed, feeling utterly lost as he stepped inside. The more he stumbled over his explanation, the more Zack chuckled. "We just… It's not funny, okay?"

Zack patted him on the back, but before he could say anything, a high pitched squeal of delight from somewhere upstairs drew the attention of almost everyone in the restaurant.

A second later, a flash of blue and pink bounded down the stairs, and into the tavern. As the blur passed their table, Zack and Naruto realized it was a cute girl who leaned over and whispered (loudly) to her friends. "Oh my gawd! You guys, I just saw the hottest thing _**ever**_! T-There were these two totally gorgeous guys and- they were _kissing_ in the hall upstairs! It's them- Oh my gawd it's them! Look, here they come!"

'_Sasuke…'_ Naruto scowled. He knew without even looking that it would be Sasuke- the bastard always had to be the center of attention. Sure enough, there was Sasuke coming down the stairs, he looked as cool and confident as ever. That calm only made Cloud look even more nervous, by contrast. Naruto might have felt sorry for the shy blond under any other circumstances, but he just couldn't stop remembering the way Cloud looked, melting into those kisses… _Sasuke's_ kisses.

He snorted, shaking his head. _'What's wrong with me?'_

He'd kissed that bastard once too- true, it was four years ago. But it wasn't fun and it wasn't a memory Naruto wanted to repeat, either! So why? Why did it matter that Sasuke kissed Cloud differently?

"The person who coined the phrase 'Dark as sin' must've talking about him." Zack grinned.

Naruto nodded, Sasuke was an attractive guy and **everyone**, male and female always noticed- damn bastard with his perfect Uchiha genetics.

He paused; actually, the two black haired guys looked remarkably alike. It was just that they had very different auras and personalities. Zack was warm, friendly and always smiling; by contrast Sasuke came off as graceful, refined and mysterious. Zack's eyes were a deep blue color so bright that they literally glowed- especially when he smiled, and the effect was beautiful- but startling. By contrast, Sasuke's eyes were impossibly dark and penetrating; his smirk gave him a mischievous, very deliberate air. "You should've seen his older brother…"

Cloud seemed content to hide behind Sasuke as the two of them approached the table. "You must be Zack, I'm Sasuke."

"Are you feeling better, Cloud? It's nice to meet you, Sasuke." Naruto was startled by how warmly Zack greeted the other raven. "You should join us. Naruto mentioned the two of you are here on a mission?"

"Hn." Sasuke slid into the circular booth and yanked Cloud in beside him. "Relax, Babe."

"Everyone is staring…"

"It's just because you are so cute when you blush, Cloudy." Sasuke purred. That, of course, only embarrassed Cloud more, so he shoved an elbow into Sasuke's ribs.

Naruto grinned along with Zack when Sasuke patted Cloud's back comfortingly. Then he realized he it made him a little bit… jealous to see Sasuke still being so careful of Cloud, _'That's not fair- he's never like that with me.'_

"Something wrong, _Naruto_?" Sasuke purred.

Naruto turned to look at him and immediately wished that he hadn't. "No."

Naruto growled audibly, but Granny Sansho came over to their table, smiling as usual. "There you are, Sasuke-kun, I was afraid you were going to miss supper. Ah, and Cloud, wasn't it? You disappeared earlier, but was it good?"

Cloud blushed but he managed a nod. "Yes, thank you."

"Two of the specials then and a couple of sodas, please Granny. Are you hungry for anything else, Cloud?" Sasuke purred.

"N-No thanks. That's fine."

The old woman left their table after shooting a puzzled glance at Naruto. He looked away and glared at the table. It hurt to see Sasuke flirting with Cloud- and that scared him in a way he wasn't comfortable with._ 'I-I'm with Sakura… I love her- I always have…'_

"So," Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Any word from Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh shit! That's what I went up there to tell you. He sent Pakkun because Amaya's upset. She and her brother are twins and she is in severe distress, because she can feel something is very wrong with Ryu. Kaka-sensei's staying in Konoha while they try to stabilize her chakra. I guess Granny Tsunade thinks if she can keep Amaya under a sleep jutsu, that it may help Ryu to relax and give us enough time to find him and bring him home if he can sense that she is safe and she's waiting for him."

"So we have some time to kill…"

Naruto nodded, wondering if Sasuke would spar with him later...

"There's a lot going on right now," Sasuke sighed. "After we eat, I'll go out on patrol. With the festival coming up and Kakashi staying in our village for now, we can't afford to relax. I'm surprised that bandits haven't already started converging on places like this."

Naruto nodded absently- caught away from their homes and familiar ground, travelers always made easy prey for thieves. But he didn't even want to think about the festival…

"Relax, idiot," Sasuke said softly. "We're going to find that kid."

Naruto nodded grimly. He was worried about _both_ of the kids, actually. When they found them, would Konoha raise them like they had him- isolated and alone? Or was there some hope that they'd be allowed to spend time with him? He was sure he could teach them to understand their powers as well as the curse of being entrusted with a Bijuu. But before he could speak, Granny Sansho set two plates and sodas onto the table.

"There you are boys, two specials and sodas. Now, can I get anything else for you, Naruto? How about you, Zack?"

"I'm great, thanks!" Zack beamed, patting his stomach.

Naruto shook his head and smiled. "Just another soda for me, thanks."

"Okay, then the kitchen is officially closed for the night."

"Thanks for everything, ma'am." Zack said, leaning back into the booth cushions.

She smiled, "It's always a pleasure to cook for our friends from Konoha. Karashi! Get out here and start busing these empty tables. It's Ranmaru's turn to wash the dishes."

"Yes, Mother…" Came the disgruntled reply from the kitchen.

Naruto grinned at the old woman, when Karashi came out of the kitchen and began piling dishes into a large tub. "Good to see he's still working hard."

She giggled, but all eyes were drawn to the front door, because it slammed open with no warning.

A huge man with cold green eyes and a lot of red tattoos on his arms and chest strode inside. There were several people flanking him, and they all moved normally, but they still set Naruto's senses on edge.

"Looks like trouble's a little earlier than you thought, Bastard." Naruto said with a wry grin.

Sasuke smirked in silent reply, but continued eating. The new arrivals sat down at one of the tables across the room that Karashi had just finished clearing.

The old woman sighed tiredly. "Our rooms are all taken, but if they just want to eat, we should serve them."

Naruto nodded, but squeezed her hand gently. "Just be careful."

Nothing happened, as the creepy new arrivals were almost completely silent while they ate. But it was impossible to ignore them simply because of the hostile air about their table.

Naruto and the others stayed at their table too. Zack had a deck of cards and was happy trying to teach the three of them to play a game called poker. Naruto wasn't really concentrating on the game, but it still annoyed him that Sasuke had won two of the three hands. The bastard had to be cheating, but of course, he couldn't actually prove that…

The man with the red tattoos stood up abruptly, and went to the counter where Granny Sancho was counting money. "I have more men outside, how much will it cost to feed them?"

"Bring them inside and we'll see."

"Listen, old woman I don't have time for-"

"It's late and my boys are tired. So am I. If your friends are hungry, you'll just have to bring them inside."

He was glad that the old woman was stubborn. It was too dangerous to send Ranmaru or Karashi go outside when there were more of these creeps waiting out there. But he sensed an abnormally large amount of chakra in that man; he might be a lowly bandit now, but he had ninja training, Naruto was sure of it.

"Fine, we'll go." Naruto noticed that the leader had been studying them and he didn't say thank you and the group left.

"Man, that jerk was rude." Zack sighed. He ginned as the old woman locked up for the night. "I guess now we turn in for the night?"

Naruto nodded. He'd been keeping himself from looking at Cloud but Sasuke was already gone- no doubt tailing the brutes that had haggled with Granny. He couldn't help scowling at the other blond.

"Aww come on, I think it's kind of cute." Zack grinned. "Kind'a like destiny or something. You know, us finding our way through that magical arch and Cloud immediately falling for Sasuke like that?"

Cloud blushed even more as he scooted out of his seat. Sasuke had told him before he left to sleep in his room, but he still wasn't convinced that it was a good idea and no matter what, he didn't think he'd get any sleep at all.

"So, who is sleeping where, now?" Zack asked.

"I'd bunk with you-" Cloud said quickly. Then he blushed. "I guess…"

"Don't you want to be alone when your boyfriend comes back?" Zack teased.

"I agree," Naruto said. "Zack and I will share a room, and then you and Sasuke can have each other."

"I- Okay," Cloud followed the other two up the stairs and let himself into the room quietly. He yawned and stripped out of his uniform. He crawled into bed, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Sasuke on the other hand, was having fun. He followed the brigands out of the restaurant and into the forest with all the grace of a leopard. It wasn't until they reached a series of caves along a riverbank that he was able to observe them closely though.

"Why the hell didn't we strike?" One of the weaklings demanded. A number of the others nodded their agreement.

"Come on, boss. We were right there! The old hag was counting out the money right in front of-" The man with the red tattoos smacked the bandit in the back of his head hard enough that he fell down and whimpered.

"That's just typical of you idiots. Didn't any of you notice there were two Leaf shinobi sitting at the other table? Right now we've got bigger fish to fry than taking the old woman's cash." The leader growled. "That guy with the orange mask was right on the money. He told us to be on the lookout for a man with dark spiky hair, a big sword and glowing blue eyes."

"Right, Akira. Leaf shinobi- damn them as if things needed to get worse... But, what do we do now that that guy is here?"

"I-" The leader started to speak, and then he hesitated. "This forest has eyes, I swear it. Kit, you take first watch. The rest of you, bed down, and we'll get to work in the morning."

Sasuke growled, slinking deeper into the thick boughs of a large tree. Meanwhile, the hireling that had done the most complaining grumbled some more.

He had two options from here. He could leave for a few hours and be back before sunrise with Naruto and the others, or he could sit here all night and just pray that something interesting happened in the mean time. Since he had a gorgeous blond to play with waiting for him back at the Inn, it wasn't really much of a decision. He turned back as the bandits set up their camp.

Cloud was asleep, but he looked exhausted. He looked like he'd worried the whole time Sasuke was gone. Instead of waking Cloud, he took a quick shower and then curled up with him and fell asleep too.

* * *

Midgar was most impressive at night with the Mako reactors spewing huge clouds of the Lifestream hundreds of feet in the air. The city was alive with lights and people hurrying through their lives. High above the plate in Shinra Tower, a company meeting was taking place.

Hojo shrugged off Scarlet's accusation that he was again getting more than his fair share of the budget with a cold laugh. "It seems to me that the department that gets the best results ought to be awarded the appropriate funding automatically."

"You cocky son of a-"

Heidegger snorted but put a hand on the blonde woman's arm. "Not now. This is about what we've learned about the little brat who was found in that Wutai village that had been destroyed."

President Shinra nodded. "Yes, Hojo. You've had several weeks for uninterrupted research. Let's hear what your esteemed department has learned about that boy's power."

Hojo straightened the glasses perched on his nose and nodded as he went back to pacing beside the table.

"As we know, the boy has an entity of immense power living inside his body. The entity is trapped but their life forces are joined- fused together permanently. As the child grows, so will his power. The entity is aware of everything around the boy- even when the child is sleeping."

"Hmm, have you found a way to communicate with it directly?"

Hojo grinned. "It is drawn to energy reminiscent of its own power. I have found that it responds violently whenever a powerful Magic or Summon Materia is used in close proximity to its host. Often it manifests a sort of shield of its own energy around the boy- whether he is awake or not. During these moments the entity has even tried to communicate verbally with a few of our… test subjects."

"Who are you using to conduct your experiments?"

"As per company policy, various enemies of the Shinra company, of course." Hojo shrugged. "The entity is concerned with finding freedom for itself and its young host. But it prefers to be called, the Shichibi."

Heidegger scoffed, tugging at his beard. "The seven tails? Seven tailed what, exactly?"

"Demon apparently," Hojo answered.

"You said it can manifest it's energy outside of the boy's body. How powerful is it?"

"Currently we have the boy immersed in a tank filled with water. Thus far it has maintained the shield for two weeks with no sign of the energy readings weakening. The creature is however showing signs of increasing aggression. When our technicians are nearby, the entity sends out an especially volatile surge of power, several of which have cracked the tank from the inside. So, while it won't be long before it breaks out of that containment unit, I believe we can safely say that the entity is a stable source of self perpetuating energy."

"Self perpetuating- wait- you mean that this thing is limitless?"

"Under the right conditions, yes. I believe so," Hojo nodded.

"That is ridiculous. Are you really saying that a possible replacement for Mako energy was found inside an infant?"

Hojo smirked. "While I do realize that not all of us take much interest in our children, Scarlett, they can and often do represent a valuable commodity to the company."

Scarlett looked like she was considering leaping over the table to throttle the arrogant bastard, but President Shinra glared at her. "Sit down. How soon will you be able to tap into the creature's power?"

Hojo shook his head. "It is something of a paradox. I believe that the creature would be much more powerful outside the boy. But the only reason that we are able to study it effectively is that it is trapped in the weak shell of such a small child. As it is, Shichibi is studying _us_… waiting for a chance to get out."

Scarlett frowned, "You're saying that it is aware of- us?"

"Yes. It considers us a threat. Shichibi would like nothing more than a chance to attack outright. But as long as its host remains under our control and vulnerable its protective instincts should keep it in check."

President Shinra nodded and looked at Heidegger. "See that the guards are doubled around the clock. No one without authorization from myself or Professor Hojo is to be allowed on the lab floors."

"Yes sir."

A knock at the door paused everyone at the large table. "Sir?"

"What is it, Tseng?"

Tseng opened the door and bowed politely. "We've received word from Reno and Rude that all three of the scientists doing follow up research on the village where the specimen Ryu was captured are dead. Additionally, two of our men were lost as they were tracking their killer a man who reportedly stole something from the researcher's temporary base, sir."

"What do you mean lost?"

"Zack reported that they had followed the thief into a Wutai shrine. But his transmission was lost and by the time that our men made it inside, the shrine was totally empty- except for a strange residual energy reading. Reno and Rude were also unable to determine a specific source for the energy, sir."

"Hmmm…." The president stroked his beard thoughtfully. "And, who are the missing men?"

"SOLDIER First Class, Zack Fair and an infantry man, named Cloud Strife, sir."

"Tseng, set up surveillance around that shrine but keep it quiet. If the local rebels have hidden that thief somewhere we will find him by any means necessary."

"Yes Sir," The Turk nodded. "And what about our missing men?"

"If they come back make sure that both of them are carefully debriefed and watched. I want to know where they've been. If they don't…"

Tseng nodded and left the room, leaving Shinra's Department heads to continue with their meeting.

He had known Zack for a long time and he doubted that this was a normal situation. Zack was too reckless and idealistic at times, but he was also fiercely loyal and always dependable. He was also a powerful fighter and the combination had proven consistently lethal for Shinra's enemies.

Tseng didn't know much about Cloud Strife, but he had read the kid's file and found nothing that suggested that he would suddenly go AWOL either.

He didn't know exactly what yet, but Tseng was certain that there were other factors at play here. And, he knew that the man in the one eyed orange mask knew much more than he'd been willing to say about all of it.


End file.
